Liquid components or compositions, such as fragrance oils, insecticides, medicines, cleaners, polishes, hair sprays, cosmetics, paints, and the like are composed of materials that are insoluble in water. These liquid components and compositions are used in the manufacture of aerosol compositions. Such liquid components and compositions usually require the inclusion of solvents to produce a homogeneous blend in water.
Further, aerosol compositions are generally pressurized with hydrocarbon propellants. For many reasons, including environmental concerns, industries are replacing hydrocarbons in aerosol compositions with compressed gas. However, compressed gas aerosol compositions have typically had several problems, including, but not limited to, not being able to produce stable aqueous mixtures of oils, insecticides, medicines, cleaners, polishes, hair sprays, and cosmetics. Due to this problem, most compressed gas aerosol compositions produced today contain materials to help dissolve or disperse these “active” ingredients. Typically, these materials are mixtures of surfactant(s), solvent(s) and volatile organic compound(s) (VOC(s)). Alcohols, such as ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, are common solvents used in these compositions. Glycols and their derivatives are also used as solvents in these compositions.
Since fragrance oils, insecticides, cleaners, polishes, hair sprays, cosmetics, and the like are composed of materials that are insoluble in water, solvents have previously been added to such compositions to increase the overall solubility of these materials. The desirability of VOC-free aerosol systems has created a need for stable emulsions not containing solvents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,078 discloses a two-phase water-based aerosol composition including an active ingredient, a surfactant, a stabilizer and dimethylether (DME) propellant. The surfactant is a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide of a specified formula. Perfumes, insecticides, bactericides, fungicides, herbicides or deodorizing agents may be included in the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,646 B1 discloses aqueous aerosol compositions for the delivery of atomized oil, such as a fragrance oil, insecticide oil and medicinal oil. The composition includes water, a water-soluble propellant such as dimethylether, dispersed oil phase in water, nonionic surfactant and a polymeric emulsifier. The nonionic surfactant is stated to help suspend the oil particles by decreasing the droplet size of the dispersed phase in the water.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0209795 A1 (which corresponds to WO 2005/093836 A2) discloses a perfume composition in the form of a highly transparent VOC-free microemulsion. The microemulsion includes an oil (such as a perfume oil); a surfactant system including one or more ionic surfactants and one or more nonionic surfactants; a solubilizing aid and water. The oil may contain a solvent. The ionic surfactants can be anionic, cationic or amphoteric. The amount of surfactant system present is stated to be dependent on essentially the amount of oil and solubilizing aid present and the amount necessary to provide a microemulsion. The solubilizing aid can be an organic or inorganic salt, such as selected from the group consisting of ammonium, alkaline and alkaline earth salts of C1 to C15 mono- and dicarboxylic acid derivatives, bicarbonates, halogenates, thiocyanates, and mixtures of the salts.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0020698 A1 (which corresponds to WO 2005/005264 A2) discloses an aerosol product without a vapor tap and having a more stable emulsion using a significantly lower ratio of propellant to product. The more stable emulsion is provided by tailoring a surfactant system to other ingredients of the formulation while using decreasing percentages by weight of the propellant and eliminating the vapor tap from the valve. The aerosol products can be flying insects insecticides, room fogger insecticides and air sanitizers. The functional ingredient provides a scent, or insecticidal, germicidal or other function. Examples disclosed include water, a corrosion inhibitor, perfume oil, surfactant(s) and a hydrocarbon propellant.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0005522 A1; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,451,065; 6,248,135; 6,077,318, and 5,670,475 disclose an aqueous composition for reducing malodor impression including perfume and an aqueous carrier and optionally a solubilizing aid, cyclodextrin and a metallic salt. The solubilizing aid is to solubilize any excess organic materials, in particular the perfume and other optional ingredients added, such as an insect repelling agent. A suitable solubilizing aid is a surfactant, which can be nonionic, cationic, amphoteric, zwitterionic or mixtures thereof. Anionic surfactants are stated to not be preferred because they form water-insoluble salts with metal ions of metallic salts. The composition can be dispensed from a spray dispenser which may be an aerosol using a propellant such as compressed air.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,734,029; 5,266,690; 5,449,763; 5,859,218, and 5,962,399 disclose alkylpolyglycoside compositions having enhanced surfactant properties and containing mixtures of alkylpolyglycosides of differing alkyl chain lengths, varying degrees of polymerization and surfactant properties. The surfactant alkylpolyglycosides are stated to be useful in personal care, cosmetic, detergent, household and industrial uses. The alkylpolyglycoside mixture is stated to have improved critical micelle concentration (CMC) and interfacial tension (IFT) properties which are useful in emulsification and solubilization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,559 B2 discloses a rotatable aerosol product including a container holding an aerosol composition. The aerosol composition is a concentrate (a liquid containing an effective ingredient) and a propellant. The effective ingredient can be an insecticide or fragrance. The propellant can be a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrogen suboxide or air. The concentrate may be a spray foam containing a foaming agent such as a surfactant.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0124512 A1 discloses an air and fabric freshener that may contain a perfume and a compressed gas, such as air. The perfume ingredients and any malodor counteractant ingredients can include any suitable percentage and the balance can be a carrier and any optional ingredient such as surfactants.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,538,978; 5,494,912, and 5,527,803 disclose purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibitors. These compounds can be administered as injectable dosages of the compound in a physiologically acceptable diluent. The diluent may be a surfactant, which can be a single component or a mixture, such as high molecular weight adducts of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base. The compound can also be administered as an aerosol or spray composition. The spray composition can also contain a surfactant and be applied by means of a propellant under pressure or by means of a compressible plastic spray bottle, nebulizer or atomizer without the use of a gaseous propellant.
European Patent Application No. 0 488 668 A1 discloses a herbicide-containing liquid including a surfactant. The surfactant is to provide foaming and can be cationic, anionic, nonionic, or amphoteric. Diluents to dissolve or suspend the herbicide and surfactant can also be used, such as water, alcohol, ethylene glycol and glycol ethers. The liquid can be applied as an aerosol. The herbicide, surfactant and diluent will be enclosed in an aerosol container together with a propellant, such as a compressed gas (e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, nitrous oxide and air).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,433 discloses an insecticide composition including hydroxy acyclic acid (as the active) and any ionic or nonionic surfactant. The composition can be delivered in aerosol form. The purpose of the surfactant is stated to be to reduce the surface tension of the insecticidal composition so that when the composition is applied to the body of an insect, the penetration of the hydroxy acyclic acid into the insect's nervous system is facilitated so as to disrupt normal respiratory function of the insect and thereby suffocate the insect.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,578 discloses an active antiviral compound which is useful with conventional pharmaceutical carriers, e.g., water, with or without the addition of a surfactant. The active compound can be packaged as an aerosol with a gaseous or liquefied propellant, e.g., carbon dioxide, with the usual adjuvants such as solvents or wetting agents. Typical surface active ingredients which can be used include high molecular weight alkyl polyglycol ethers.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0192197 A1 discloses a peroxycarboxylic acid for reducing a population of microorganisms. Various solubilizers can be used with the acid, including various surfactants. A foaming composition is described which includes the acid compound and foaming surfactants, such as alcohol ethoxylates and alkyl ether sulfates. At the time of use, compressed air can be injected into the mixture.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0165042 A1 discloses an active heterocyclic compound which may be administered by injection. The composition to be injected can contain a nonionic surfactant in conjunction with the heterocyclic compound. The surfactant can be a single component.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0089540 A1 discloses a composition for application to surfaces for providing controlled release of a microencapsulated active ingredient, such as a perfume. The composition can include an aerosol propellant, such as compressed air. In addition to the perfume and propellant, the composition can include a stabilizer, such as isopropyl myristate, a dispersant and an aqueous carrier. The dispersant serves to suspend the microencapsules in the composition. The composition can optionally include a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants.
The above-described compositions have various shortcomings which are addressed by the present invention.